1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing embroidery data to control a sewing machine to form an embroidery on a work sheet.
2. Related Art Statement
There is known an embroidery sewing machine which automatically forms an embroidery on a work sheet such as a work cloth. Embroidery data are used to control the sewing machine to automatically form the embroidery on the work sheet. The embroidery data may include sets of stitch-position data representing stitch positions located on the outline or outlines of an outline-bounded region to be filled with stitches to produce the embroidery. In this case, each stitch position may be defined by respective amounts of movement of the work sheet relative to the sewing needle in the X and Y directions pre-determined for the sewing machine. Otherwise, the embroidery data may include sets of block data representing respective outlines of polygonal blocks as the divided portions of an outline-bounded region, and stitch-density data representing a stitch density, e.g., number of stitches to be formed in each polygonal block. U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,623 assigned to the Assignee of the present application discloses an embroidery data processing apparatus which automatically processes the above-mentioned first or second sort of embroidery data.
There is known another embroidery data processing apparatus which may be constituted by a personal computer (PC) and an image scanner connected to the PC. The second apparatus produces embroidery data based on an original image in the following manner:
First, the image scanner is operated to read in or pick up an original image from an original (e.g., image painted or printed on a base sheet), so that the PC produces image data representing the original image. Next, the PC divides, based on the image data, the original image into two or more outline-bounded regions each of which is defined by one or more outlines thereof. For example, regarding an original image 50, shown in FIG. 5, the second apparatus divides the original image 50 into four outline-bounded regions 52, 54, 56, and 58 shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10, respectively, produces sets of outline data representing respective outlines of the regions 52-58, according to a known algorithm, and finally produces embroidery data based on the thus obtained sets of outline data. The PC may be programmed to produce, as the embroidery data for each outline-bounded region 52-58, sets of block data representing respective outlines of polygonal blocks such as quadrangles and/or triangles, e.g., X and Y coordinates of the positions of the vertices of the quadrangular or triangular blocks. Alternatively, the PC may be programmed to produce, as the embroidery data, sets of stitch-position data representing respective stitch positions located on the outline of each of the polygonal blocks where, e.g., satin stitches or seed stitches are formed to fill the inside area of each block. The satin stitches are defined as stitches filling an outline-bounded region by connecting the two opposed portions of a single outline, or two opposed outlines, of the region, without any needle's penetrations of the work sheet inside the outline or outlines. The stitch density for the satin stitches may be defined as a number of the stitches formed in unit length in a sewing direction. The seed stitches are defined as stitches filling an outline-bounded region by connecting the two opposed portions of a single outline, or two opposed outlines, of the region, with one or more needle's penetrations of the work sheet inside the outline or outlines. The stitch density for the seed stitches may be defined as a number of stitch lines formed in unit length in a sewing direction. Each stitch line consists of a series of stitches connecting the two opposed portions of the single outline, or the two opposed outlines, of the outline-bounded region.
The second apparatus further includes a display device which displays the original image taken by the image scanner. The display device displays the whole original image in an almost all portion of the screen thereof. The user operates a designator such as a mouse to designate a desired one of the outline-bounded regions displayed on the screen, and subsequently he or she inputs command data into the PC so as to display a sewing-parameter table on the screen. Then, the display device changes an old screen image showing the original image, to a new screen image showing the sewing-parameter table. The parameter table may contain various parameter items such as (a) whether or not to form stitches in the designated outline-bounded region, (b) a stitch density of the stitches formed in the designated region, (c) a stitching manner used to form the stitches in the designated region, (d) a sewing direction along which the stitches are formed to fill the designated region, and (e) the color of an embroidery thread used to form the stitches in the designated region. The user can specify the content of each of the parameter items displayed on the screen. For example, the user may change a current value of each parameter item to an appropriate value, and then fix it, by using the mouse. Otherwise, the user may input an appropriate value for each parameter item, or select an appropriate one of various imaged keys respectively corresponding to various contents or values of each parameter item. The PC of the second apparatus produces embroidery data based on each set of outline data representing the outline or outlines of a corresponding outline-bounded region and the fixed, input, or selected contents of the parameter items for that outline-bounded region.
In the second apparatus, however, the display device displays a whole original image over an almost all portion of the screen thereof, and entirely replaces the original image with the sewing-parameter table when the user specifies appropriate values of the sewing parameters on the screen. Thus, the original image disappears from the screen. Therefore, the user is required to carry out this operation while keeping in mind for which region he or she is specifying the sewing parameters. In this respect, the second apparatus requires the user to have a special skill to operate the apparatus and thereby process embroidery data. The prior apparatus has been used mainly by professional operators who are engaged in embroidery data production.
It is considerably cumbersome and time-consuming for persons who are not familiar with embroidery data production, such as housewives or trainees taking lectures on embroidery, to keep in mind for which region they are specifying the sewing parameters. In the case where a user quits specifying the sewing parameters for a certain region to do another work, the user may forget for which region he or she was specifying the parameters. In this case, the user may need to return to the initial outline-bounded region to re-specify the sewing parameters therefor. This is much more time-consuming. If the prior apparatus has a large screen, both the entire original image and the sewing-parameter table can be displayed simultaneously on the screen. In this case, however, the cost of production of the apparatus will be increased.
Furthermore, the prior apparatus cannot enable the user to identify for which region he or she has already specified the sewing parameters. If the user fails to specify the sewing parameters for some of the outline-bounded regions in which region he or she wishes to form stitches, the prior apparatus may stop producing the embroidery data at that region, or otherwise the apparatus may produce incorrect embroidery data which do not include data for the region which the user wishes to embroider.